'Surprise' at withheld cheque

The Army major accused of cheating his way to the top prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? was 'surprised and polite' when told his cheque was being withheld, a court heard yesterday.

Paul Smith, managing director of programme makers Celador, phoned Charles Ingram the day before the show was due to be broadcast to tell him there were 'irregularities'.

Nicholas Hilliard, prosecuting, asked Mr Smith: 'You told him his cheque had been stopped pending an investigation into his appearance on the show?'

Mr Smith said: 'I said there had been irregularities. I didn't stress they were directly related to him. He was very polite and he was surprised.'

Sonia Woodley, QC, representing-Ingram, suggested the major's reaction was one of shock.

'He was surprised, yes,' said Mr Smith at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Shortly afterwards, the Royal Engineer's 38-year-old wife Diana left a message at Mr Smith's office asking him to call her. He responded but was unable to make contact.

Mr Smith, one of four co-creators of the show, was phoned by a Celador lawyer on the night of Ingram's win on September 10, 2001.

He drove to Elstree Studios, where the show is made, and twice watched tapes of Ingram's £1million-winning performance before going home at 3am.

Later that day, at a meeting of senior staff at Celador headquarters, it was decided to call in the police.

The jury was told that the show's ratings, which hit 19million soon after its 1998 launch, now stood at seven to eight million.

The number of would-be players calling its premium rate line had fallen from 350,000 per show to 65,000, meaning the prize money now had to be subsidised by ITV. It had originally been funded entirely from the phone line.

Miss Woodley suggested Celador would benefit from the Ingram case as it was making a documentary about it which is expected to be sold to ITV. She asked: 'Is it hoped that that might boost ratings?'

'If the programme is broadcast I'm sure there would be a curiosity value,' Mr Smith replied.

One of the show's researchers told yesterday of her shock after Ingram shouted at her minutes after being presented with his cheque.

Eve Winstanley said he appeared 'tense and agitated' and ordered her from his dressing room.

Moments later, after hearing raised voices, she found his wife looking 'shaken and upset'.